CENTRALIA, Il – SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital - Centralia is proud to sponsor Mission Centralia. Mission Centralia is a local non-profit organization that builds handicap-accessible ramps for those in need. These ramps, sponsored by local businesses and organizations, are available at no cost for approved applicants through Mission Centralia’s program.
Mission Centralia is 100% volunteer-operated. Volunteers need no building experience, as the organization works with individuals of all ages and skill levels to install pre-built ramps onto homes across the Centralia High School District.
Tammy Copeland, an SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital - Mt. Vernon nurse practitioner, reflects on her time building handicap-accessible ramps.
“I thoroughly enjoy volunteering my time with Mission Centralia to help build ramps for community members in need. Without a handicap accessible ramp, mobility to and from their residence is nearly impossible, Copeland said.
"I feel a connection between my work with Mission Centralia and my career with SSM Health. I work as a provider in the pulmonary specialty clinic at SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital. I had a patient that used his ramp for a dual purpose. Because of our work with Mission Centralia, he was able to make it to his dialysis appointments three days a week and also use the ramp as a catalyst for his rehabilitation. After going up and down his ramp daily for a few months, he was able to wean himself off oxygen, " she said.
SSM Health is proud to support local charities who work to provide much-needed services throughout the communities we serve. SSM Health is an organization that values compassion, respect, excellence, stewardship, and community. We emphasize the cultivation of relationships that inspire service and promote justice in our organization and throughout our communities, with special concern for the poor and marginalized.
About SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – Centralia
SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – Centralia, operating in partnership with the Felician Sisters, is a 113-bed hospital specializing in behavioral health, bariatric surgery, wound/hyperbaric care, cancer treatments, and minimally invasive general surgical care along with pediatric emergency and NICU telemedicine program in conjunction with the physicians at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital of St. Louis, Mo.
In 2016, SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital was named a “Best Hospital” by US News and World Report for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award for seven years in a row; the Pulmonary Care Excellence Award five years in a row; and in recent years the Critical Care Excellence Award. It also was recognized in 2016 through Quest by Premier Inc. with the Citation of Merit Award for High-Value Healthcare.
